Augusta, GA (WJBF)- The day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Airports and roads are getting busy as people head out to celebrate the holiday.
Flights leaving Augusta Regional are nearly full and the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said traffic is picking up on roads too.
They said there are more accidents on the roads during holidays and encourage drivers to be more vigilant than usual.
Both law enforcement and airport officials expect Wednesday to be the busiest travel day, with things picking back up Sunday and Monday when people head home.
“Talking with the airlines it seems like the flights are almost 90% full, which is excellent. We are happy to see passengers are getting back out and we’ve been very fortunate with our passengers that we kind of bounced back quicker that the national average for airports. So, we’re excited to see everybody traveling through this holiday season,” said Lauren Smith, Public Relations and Customer Service Manager at Augusta Regional Airport.
Roger Hayes with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety encourages people to stay safe on the road.
He advises people to follow a few important safety tip while driving.
Give yourself enough time to travel– don’t speed if you are running late.
Don’t have your device in your hand while driving– make sure to stay hands free.
Take a break if you’re tired and of course don’t forget to buckle up.
“People have been cooped up during the pandemic and last year they didn’t get to go to Thanksgiving festivities a lot. So, they are… Triple A has already said that they expect a larger number of people traveling this year than in the past several years,” explained Hayes.
Hayes also reminds people not to drink and drive. If you are going to drink, have a designated driver or use a ride share service.
Augusta Regional wants to remind passengers to arrive as early as possible to get through security.
For those traveling by road remember– starting today the Click it or Ticket Campaign is in effect.
Law enforcement will be citing people not wearing their seatbelts, so remember to buckle up.
Photojournalist: Reggie Mckie.
